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- RACE DISCRIMINATION 


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™ RESOLUTIONS AND LAWS PASSED. BY THE 
LEGISLATURES OF VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA 
AND SOUTH CAROLINA, IN OPPOSITION 
TO IMMIGRATION FROM 
SOUTHERN EUROPE 


REPRINTED BY 
a NATIONAL LIBERAL IMMIGRATION LEAGUE 
Heapguarters, 150 Nassau Street 


NEW YORK CITY 


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IENGERiO7 DU Cor O RBy. . 


HE resolution and laws published in the following 
a8 pages will prove the danger of State Legislation which 
discriminates against various races of European im- 
migrants. Federal legislation usually attracts publicity, and 
an opportunity is thus afforded to friends of immigration to 
combat any restrictionist measures that may be introduced. 
State immigration legislation, on the other hand, is little 
known even to citizens of the State concerned, and attracts no 
immediate attention outside the State. 


While it is true that such resolutions and laws as those 
passed by the Legislature of Virginia and the Carolinas can- 
not keep out even from those very States immigrants admit- 
ted under our Federal laws, nevertheless these official ex- 
pressions of ill-will in individual States of the American 
Union against a large class of our immigrants convey a false 
impression to the world at large and are thus a serious detri- 
ment to the best interest of the whole country. 


The class of immigrants who alone are desired by these 
State Legislatures would not engage in such laborious work 
as digging tunnels, paving streets, or even working on farms 
or in cotton mills. The immigrants whom these Legislatures 
would keep out are necessary for the upbuilding of the very 
States responsible for these un-American utterances, as well 
as for the development of the whole country. 


The resolutions and laws were passed through the influ- 
ence of the Immigration Restriction League, the Junior Order 
United American Mechanics and kindred organizations. It 
behooves all who realize that every well-meaning and able- 
bodied immigrant is a clear gain to the country to exert their 
influence in preventing restrictionist resolutions in other 
States and to endeavor to have the Legislatures of Virginia, 
North and South Carolina repeal these ill-advised enactments 
and adopt counter resolutions and measures favoring the 
immigration of all honest and healthy workers. 


NOTE.—The paragraphs objecting to South European immigrants 
are printed in heavy type. 


RESOLUTIONS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE 


OF VIRGINIA. 
February 13, 1908. 


RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia (the House of Dele- 
gates concurring), that our representatives in both houses of Con- 
gress be, and they are hereby, requested to oppose in every possi- 
ble manner the influx to Virginia of immigrants from Southern 
Europe with their Mafia and Black Hand murder societies and 
with no characteristics to make them, with us, a homogeneous 
people, believing, as we do, that upon Anglo-Saxon supremacy 
depend the future welfare and the prosperity of the common- 
wealth, and we view with alarm any effort that may tend to cor- 
rupt its citizenship. 


PUBLIC LAWS OF NORTH CAROLINA—SESSION 1907. 


An act to promote and encourage the immigration of a 
desirable class of trained, industrious and economical farmers 
and other laborers to the State of North Carolina. 


The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact: 


Section 1. That for the purpose of aiding the farmers and 
other employers of labor of North Carolina in the proper tilling 
and cultivation of their farms and filling the need being felt 
each year by them from the rapidity of decreasing supply of 
laborers on account of the number of young men and other labor- 
ers leaving the farms and going to the towns, seeking employ- 
ment in factories and other industries, the Department of Agri- 
culture, Immigration and Statistics shall prepare and keep for 
distribution illustrated literature containing all necessary informa- 
tion as to mines, minerals, forest, soils, climates, waters, water 
powers, fisheries, mountains, industries and all other such infor- 
mation as may be best adapted to adverise the attractions and 
advantages which this State affords to immigrants, and shall 
make illustrative exposition thereof whenever practicable in this 
or foreign countries. 

Sec. 2. That said department shall be authorized, in the 
interest of desirable immigration, to employ an agent or agents 
at such points in this or any foreign country as it may deem 
expedient or desirable. 

Sec. 3. That the agent or agents herein authorized be em- 
powered to make such arrangement with steamship companies 
and immigration agencies in this country and abroad as may 
best serve the interests of our people in bringing desirable immi- 


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gration to the State; the necessary expenditure being made 
within the annual appropriation herein provided for this pur- 
pose; provided that nothing herein shall prohibit said agent or 
agents acting without fee as the agents of such citizens of the 
State who, through the Department of Agriculture, Immigration 
and Statistics, wish to meet excess expenses of bringing desirable 
immigrants for farm or other lands or for any industrial pur- 
pose of whatever nature. 


Sec. 4. That for carrying out the purposes of this act, the 
Department of Agriculture is hereby empowered to use annually 
for the period of five years from the ratification of this act, a 
sum not exceeding five thousand dollars, to be set aside from 
the funds of said department, and if necessary to further draw 
upon State treasury for an equal sum to be set aside from any 
funds in said treasury not otherwise appropriated. 


Sec. 5. That efforts to secure immigrants shall be confined t0 
the United States, Canada, and other nations of Teutonic, Celtic 
or Saxon origin, and that only a desirable class of immigrants be 
so secured; Provided that the counties of Brunswick, Bladen, Col- 
umbus, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Pasquotank, Surry, Dare, © 
Hyde, Martin, Washington, Tyrell, Pamlico, Beaufort, Lencir, 
Carterst, Graven, Pitt, Montgomery, Camden, Currituck and 
Duplin, shall be excepted from the restrictions contained in this 
section, and the department is hereby authorized and empowered 
to exercise its discretion in securing desirable immigration to the 
aforesaid counties, and may extend its operations to any country 
other than Southern Italy, whose inhabitants are adapted to 
climatic and other conditions existing in the aforesaid counties 
and who are otherwise desirable as immigrants. 


Sec. 6. That this act shall be in force from and after its 
ratification. 

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 
11th day of March, A. D. 1907. 


IMMIGRATION LAW OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 


An act to establish a Department of Agriculture, Commerce 
and Immigration and to Provide for the Appointment and Com- 
pensation of a Commissioner. 


SECTION I. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the 
State of South Carolina, that a State Department of Agriculture, 
Commerce and Immigration is hereby created, which shall be 
charged as far as possible with the execution of the work usually 


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devolved upon a bureau of Immigration, a bureau of Agriculture, 
and a bureau of Publicity. 


Sec. 2. That the sum of $2,000, if so much be necessary, be 
appropriated for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the 
Department, including postage, the publication from time to time 
of circulars of information, handbooks on the resources of the 
State, travelling expenses of the Commissioner or his Clerk, or 
such persons as may be necessarily employed, and other legiti- 
mate expenses to be itemized and presented to the Comptroller 
General, who shall draw his warrant on the State Treasurer, 
who is hereby directed to pay the same. 


Sec. 5. That the Commissioner shall make and submit to the 
Governor, on or before the tenth day of January of each year, a 
report covering the Department’s work of the preceding year, 
and the report shall be transmitted to the General Assembly, 
printed in the same manner as other public documents or as shall 
otherwise be ordered. 


Sec. 6. That the Commissioner shall be charged with all 
work looking to all matters to the promotion of Agriculture, 
manufacturing and other industries, cattle raising, and all matters 
tending to the industrial development of the State, with the col- 
lection and publication of information in regard to localities, 
character, accessibility, cost and modes of utilization of soils, and 
more specifically to the inducement of capital and undesirable 
immigration by the dissemination of information relative to the 
advantages of soil and climate, and to the natural resources and 
industrial opportunities offered in this State; that he shall also 
collect from the farmers and land owners of the State and list 
information as to lands, stating the number of acres, location, the 
terms upon which they may be bought, leased or shared to desir- 
able settlers ; that a land registry shall be kept, and in connection 
therewith, from time to time, publication shall be made, descrip- 
tive of such listed agricultural, mineral, forest and trucking lands 
and factory sites as may be offered to the department for sale 
or share, which publication shall be in the attractive form, setting 
forth the county, township, number of acres, names and addresses 
of owners, and such other information as may be helpful in 
placing inquiring homeseekers in communication with land 
owners. 


Sec. 7. That the Commissioner shall collect in a form of 
handbook of the State, to be issued when practicable, information 
showing the nature and industrial resources and advantages of 
the State of South Carolina, dealing with soil, climate, raw and 


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manufacturing productions, agricultural and horticultural prod- 
ucts, textile fabric, manufacturing industries, mines and mining, 
native woods, means of transportation, cost of living, the mar- 
ket and all material and social advantages for those seeking 
homes and investments in agricultural or manufacturing indus- 
tries. 

Sec. 8. That the Commissioner be empowered to make such 
arrangements with oceanic and rivers steamship companies and 
immigration agencies, in this country and abroad, as may best 
serve the interests of successful immigration, the necessary ex- 
penditures being made within the annual appropriation for the 
general expenses of this department; provided, however, nothing 
herein shall forbid the Commissioner acting without fee as the 
agent of such citizens of the State, who, through the South Caro- 
lina Immigration Association, the department wish to meet ex- 


cess expenses of bringing desirable immigrants to their farms or | 


other lands. That in the discharge of these duties the Commis- 
sioner, or such person as he may select, is empowered to visit 
such immigration centers whenever necessary to produce the best 
results. 


Sec. 9. That in order to facilitate the collection and colla- 
tion of exact information of the resources of the State Govern- 
ment and of the State, institutions are hereby required to furnish 
accurately such information as may be at their command to the 
Commissioner when called upon for same. That the Commis- 
sioner is hereby empowered to enter manufacturing establish- 
ments, chartered by the State, in prosecution of this work, and 
that the corporation operating same shall furnish such informa- 
tion as may not be injurious to their business, when requested to 
furnish the same by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Commerce 
and Immigration. 

SEC. 10. That nothing in this Act contained shall be so con- 
structed as to repeal or interfere with the duties or work of the 
Chemist or Faculty of Clemon Agricultural and Mechanical Col- 


lege, the State Geologist, or any other department of the State 
government of South Carolina. 


Sec. 11, That immigrants shall be confined to white citizens 


of the United States, citizens of Ireland, Scotland, Switzerland, 
France, and all other foreigners of Saxon origin. 


Sec. 12. That with regard to agricultural interests under this 
Act, it shall be the duty of the Commissioner to secure those 
immigrants who desire to purchase*homes, become citizens of 
this State and will build up agricultural interests. 


SEC. 13. That“ ts Act shall be a public Act and take effect 
upon its approval by the Governor. 


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